Ilse Aigner is Merz's pick for president – and Söder wants credit too

Germany's next head of state could be a trained craftswoman from Bavaria. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has presented Ilse Aigner as his candidate for Federal President. But on the day of the nomination, the real question was: whose idea was it?

What happened?

Merz introduced Aigner on Monday and was full of praise. As a trained craftswoman, he said, she knows the everyday reality of millions of Germans.

Aigner is a CSU politician (the Bavarian sister party of Merz's CDU). She has been president of the Bavarian state parliament since 2018.

She played the presidential part in her first appearance. Still, she couldn't resist a small jab at Merz. She also dropped vague hints about what she plans to do in the role.

Why is everyone talking about it?

Because of the squabble over who gets the credit. Bavarian premier Markus Söder made a point of reminding everyone that Aigner was his idea. Merz, meanwhile, wants this to be seen as his nomination.

One broadcaster called it a petty quarrel over a title that doesn't even exist. Nobody is officially "the person who made her the candidate".

There is also criticism of how long it all took. It was 199 days before Merz stood firmly behind Aigner. In an interview on the ARD news programme Tagesthemen, he defended the process. He said it had gone smoothly and harmoniously, and that Aigner was the right person for the job.

What's next?

The clock is ticking. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the current president, was re-elected by the Federal Convention (the body that elects Germany's president) in 2022. His second five-year term ends in March 2027.

Until then, Aigner will have to show what kind of president she would be. Her first appearance suggested she wants to set her own tone, and not only as Merz's pick.